Swine Flu Incubation Period

There are so many questions that are still unanswered, in relation to swine flu. One such question is with regards to the incubation period of swine flu. An incubation period refers to the time taken for the symptoms of a disease to be first visible.

Studies are still on to determine the incubation period of swine flu. But there are some reports that suggest that the incubation period could vary from 2 days to 7 days. Also, a patient may be transmitting the disease to some other person, even before he knows about his sickness and some may be able to transmit the disease to another person even after many days of returning back to normalcy. This potential is longer in children which means the children may be able to transmit the disease to others for even longer periods.

Swine flu patients can be considered contagious till about 7 days from the onset of the illness. In fact, the people who are affected with swine flu should stay indoors except for their doctor visits, at least for the first 7 days of their condition.

Since there is no conclusive answer to the incubation period of swine flu, it is best to take some precautions to keep this disease away. These include frequent washing of hands, coughing in to a tissue and then immediately dispose it off and washing the hands, if the flu is already spreading, then it would be a good idea to wear a mouth guard. Once a person is diagnosed with swine flu, antiviral drugs help get the flu under control, especially if started within 2 days of becoming ill.

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Swine Flu Incubation Period